Workpiece feeding device for centerless grinding and like machines



pril 6, 194,8. A. scRlvENER WORKPIECE FEEDING EVIGE FOR CENTERLESS GRINDING AND LIKE MACHINES F11ed`Feb.J.5, 1945 2 sheets-sheet 1 April 6, 1948. A. scRlvENER 2,439,225 WORKPIECE FEEDINGDEVICE FOR ('JENTERVIZIESS G RIN'DING AND LIKE MACHINES Filed Feb. 15. 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 6, 1948 WORKPIECE FEEDNG DEVICE FOR CEN- TERLESS GRINDING AND LIKE MACHINES Arthur Scrivener, Birmingham, England Application February 15, 1945, Serial N6. 578,049 In Great Britain February 24, 1944 4ing and like machines. more particularly to machines in which a complementary pair of rotary bodies are adapted to operate upon the workpiece introduced therebetween onto which workpiece a surface operation, such as peripheral grinding,

thread milling, cutting or rolling, has to be performed.

The object ci' the present invention is to introduce the workpieces successively into the operative position by means of a feed carrier device which is desirably continuous or intermittently continuous in its operation, which carrier shall have provision for loading and unloadingthe Workpeces at points removed from the operative point so as to increase the speed of operation of the machine and facilitate the introduction of the workpieces in succession thereto.

The invention consists of a workpiece feeding device for use in connection with centreless grinding and like machines, comprising a notched carrier member which passes the Workpieces in succession between the presented operative pe-l ripheries of thel wheels or rollers of the machine.'

The said carrier member desirably comprises an annulus the axis of rotation of `which is disposed parallel to or substantially parallel to the axis or axes of rotation of the wheels or rollers whichl The invention further resides in details in the i construction and location of the carrier member or ring whereby a continuous or substantially continuous feeding of the workpiece to and from i the channel f which directs or delivers the rethe operative point of the machine obtains, and

comprising the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross `sectional elevation of part o the mechanism seen in Fig. 1.'

The workpieces a to be ground are located at intervals in evenly spaced notches b1 formed in a g carrier ring b, the ring having its axis of rotation located parallel or substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the grinding wheel c and of the control wheel d by means of which the workpiece is held up to the periphery of the grinding wheel (see more particularly the workpiece ax in Fig. 1). This notched carrier ring b has rotation in a path which is eccentric to the path of rotation of the periphery of the control wheel d about which the notched carrier ringv is located. The carrier ring b passes between the presented peripheral faces'of the grinding wheel c and the control wheel'd and is of lesser thickness than the diameter or outline dimensions of the workpeces a so that the workpieces will extend beyond the innerand outer peripheries of the notched carrier ring b. This notched carrier ring is mounted on and adapted to rotate about a circular track e which is gapped at e1 near the top thereof, which gap provides an automatic or gravity release for any workpiece carried thereoverv by the notched carrier ring b. The circular track e is valso gapped at e2 to provide a passage for the location ofpart of the periphery of the control wheel d so that m thiswheel may be accurately positioned together with a workpiece relative to the grinding wheel c.

Workpieces are successively introduced into the notches in the carrier ring b either bv hand or automatically through a supply hopper. conveyor or other feeding mechanismY (not shown) so that the worknieces a are carried by the rotation of the notched carrier ring b to the operative point for each workpiece between the presented peripheral faces of the grinding wheel `c and the control wheel d (see the position oi the workpiece ax in Fig. 1). After being ground each workpiece by the continued rotation of the notched carrier ring b is conveyed to the gap e1 `and the piece so disposed is released through the gap e1 in the circular track e and delivered into leased workpiece.

Advantageously the notches b1 in the carrier ring b are of a greater width than the diameter of the workpiece ato be ground so that there is provided a freedom of motion between the workpiece and the carrier ring at the working or operative point. By this means a continuous rotation may be impartedto the carrier ring without adversely affecting the accuracy of the grinding operation to be perfumed on the workpiece,but

alternatively the carrier ring may be subjected to intermittentrotational motion, the motion steps coinciding with the distance obtaining between the notches in the carrier ring.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that an important feature of this in-` vention is the disposition or location of the notched carrier ring b between and relative to the presented peripheries of the grinding wheel c and the control wheel d, and that this disposition or location is accomplished by the parallel or substantially parallel arrangement of the axes of all of these rotational parts, but in a modication the axis of rotation of the carrier ring may be at right angles or any other convenient angle to the axis of the grinding and control wheels.

I claim:

A feeding device for centreiess grinding and like machines which have a grinding roll and an opposed control roll, comprising a carrier ring which' passes between the rolls and has a thickness less than the normal distance between the rolls, means for rotating the carrier ring upward between the rolls, retaining rings on both sides of and concentric with the carrier ring which have gaps to leave clearance for the rolls and which are spaced apart slightly more than the normal distance between the rolls, and notches in the carrier 15 Number ring each of which holds a workpiece to be passed between the rolls, has its trailing side inclined toward the control roll and is substantially wider than the workpiece, whereby during rotation oi' the carrier ring the workpiece rests against a retaining ring until it reaches the gap therein and then falls against the control roll.

ARTHUR SCRIVENER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Binns Aug. 26, 1930 Theler July 14, 1931 Hatebur July 21. 1936 

